Breaking Out
by ephedrine
Summary: Lizzie, Miranda and Gordo are now in high school, but everything’s changed. The three of them have grown apart, leaving only memories of the past. In high school, where social status means LIFE, the trio have been ‘categorized’ into different groups
1. Realizations

**A/N –** I decided to take a break from my other fanfics and move onto something more relaxing and fun like Lizzie McGuire. Please bear in mind that this is my first Lizzie McGuire fanfic and though I was an avid fan of the show, I might get some things muddled up. Heh, that's my life. Let's move on, shall we?  
  
- - -  
  
**Title –** Breaking Out  
  
**Author –** Kawaii Kinomoto  
  
**Genre –** General, Romance, Angst  
  
**Rating –** PG-13  
  
**Main Pairings –** Gordo/Lizzie, Miranda/? (I haven't decided this yet)  
  
**Disclaimer –** I do NOT own the entire cast of Lizzie McGuire. I'm only borrowing them for my (and your) entertainment. I hope you enjoy. Names, places, or settings that are not mentioned in the series are entirely mine.   
  
**Summery –** Lizzie, Miranda and Gordo are now in high school, but everything's changed. The three of them have grown apart, leaving only memories of the past. In high school, where social status means LIFE, the trio have been 'categorized' into different groups. Can they break the bounds of stereotype and rekindle their own friendship? Can love become of this?  
  
- - -  
  
** Breaking Out**  
  
Realizations  
  
David Gordon closed his eyes, wondering how it had all changed. How the 'Terrific Trio' (as Matt McGuire would say, sarcasm evident in his voice) had broken up. Maybe it was high school, where your social life was everything and stereotypes abound. Maybe it was the amount of work that was poured onto Gordo by the merciless teachers. Or maybe, it was because all three of them got immediately 'sorted' into different groups.  
  
He didn't know that high school would be like this. Sure, he had skipped forward to it last year, but it never prepared him for the loss of friendship. Everything was so much easier in junior high. It was all about picking on Kate, gushing over Ethan, and complain about schoolwork. Black and white. No gray areas. Until now.  
  
Already on their first day of high school had changed them slightly. Lizzie shared a locker with one of the members of the football team, Ken Bourne, and had fallen for him at once. Tall and good-looking, who could blame her? Miranda was still her own person, going about everywhere, making friends instantly. While Gordo? Gordo was—  
  
"David Gordon? DAVID GORDON?!"  
  
Gordo jolted and looked up at his algebra teacher, Mrs. Crawford. She motioned towards the board patiently. He analyzed the sum, tallying figures in his head.  
  
"Uh... The 30th percentile is... twenty-nine books," he said clearly. Mrs. Crawford eyed him with praise before nodding and writing up another question. Snickers and hushed whispers came from the back of the room.  
  
Geeky Gordo. Gordo the Nerd. Geek of the Week. That's what he was. No longer the 'smart-dude' as Ethan would have said in junior high, but one of the geek patrol.  
  
Great. He was taking his usual trip down memory lane again. A sure fire way to get him down in the dumps.  
  
This wasn't one of his better days.  
  
---  
  
Miranda Sanchez strolled down the hallway, her black hair with purple tips glittering in the sunlight through the windows. She knew it was time for History, but she couldn't really give a damn about it anymore. She was bound to fail that class anyway. She continued down the hallway, heading for the more deserted area where she usually hung.  
  
"Hey, Andie. Over here..."  
  
A skinny hand waved out to her from the darkness. Upon further inspection, Miranda found out that it was her one of her friends, Jodi Fraise, along with Alana Fields and James Martin. She made a quick once-over of Alana. Miranda didn't know her well. James fiddled with his earring then patted the floor next to him. She gladly sat down beside him before Jodi gave a big sigh.  
  
"My dear, dear, Andie. It does take you long. You're always the latest," she complained. James laughed softly before adding, "Besides, it's boring without you." Miranda was glad that the darkness was able to hide her deepening blush. She shoved him playfully, not wanting him to know how much his words affected her.  
  
"What did I miss?" Miranda asked. Alana snorted loudly. "The usual, talking crap, stuff like that. We never do anything in here..." she trailed off. Miranda could almost feel Jodi shrug in response.  
  
Jodi and Miranda had met after being paired up for Physical Education. Seeing as they both hated P.E, they hit it off right away. Miranda had a great fascination with Jodi's style. Black, gothic and yet still able to pull it off made Miranda admire her even more. Jodi had invited her to the mall with her later on to get some new clothes for Miranda, seeing that she was so enthusiastic. They had a hilarious afternoon, checking out accessories and threads. Needless to say, Miranda's mother was _not_ pleased.  
  
They had met James about a week later. Jodi had thought he was a total freakazoid but had changed her mind almost immediately when she heard that he loved Betty Blowtorch, one of Jodi's favorite bands. The three of them grew quite close and the two girls had taken to dragging James to every shopping trip they made, making him try on the weirdest clothes while he demanded ice-cream in payment. Miranda always gave in.  
  
Alana was Jodi's friend. Miranda and James barely knew her, but accepted her anyway. Alana's sarcasm and twisted sense of humor was a good source of entertainment when they were bored to death. All of them were _nothing_ like Gordo and Lizzie.  
  
Miranda suddenly felt someone's breath on her neck. She was about to scream in absolute terror before James' quiet voice whispered in her ear, "Your hair smells nice."  
  
Jodi heard and hooted, "James! You never say that MY hair smells nice!" She then grabbed his head and pulled him towards her lock of auburn hair. James forcefully pulled away, smiling slightly while Alana cackled.  
  
Yeap, nothing like Lizzie and Gordo at all. Not that it was a bad thing.  
  
---  
  
The lunch bell had rung but Elizabeth McGuire didn't move to get up from her seat. She was too busy running through her cheerleader routine. She came rushing back to reality as a hand slammed down on her desk.  
  
"Ahaha! Got you there, Lizzie. You should've seen your face, girl!"  
  
Mandie Jacobs smiled down at her while Lizzie frowned playfully before getting up. "What's on your mind?" asked Mandie, twirling her brown hair around a perfectly manicured finger. Lizzie gave a shake of her head. "It's just the new cheer combination," she said, as they made their way to the cafeteria, Mandie holding a paper bag. "Don't worry, Lizzie! You're awesome at them. And I should know!" said Mandie, rolling her eyes. "Such modesty," said Lizzie, smiling at her friend.  
  
As soon as they walked through the cafeteria doors, voices from the far side corner called out to them.  
  
"Hey Lizzie, Mandy! Over here!"  
  
"You've got to help me with this question. I don't get it!"  
  
"Where were you two, anyway?"  
  
They sat down with the other girls, Brianna Lawson, Ellyanna Perez, Kirsty Davidson, and Mieko Bloom. All of them were in the cheerleading squad and had been close friends ever since tryouts day. Lizzie had grown exceptionally close with Mieko. The Japanese-American girl was such a good friend, even more so than what Lizzie could say of Miranda in their junior high days.  
  
"Maybe we should use 'Fighter' for one of our songs for cheerleading. It's one of my favorites," said Elly, slurping on her soda. Kirsty twitched and eyebrow in annoyance. She had an amazing hatred for slurps. Lizzie could only grin in amusement as Elly slurped even louder, knowing full well that it would only irritate Kirsty even more. Brianna was hovering over her essay question, pestering Mieko about it. Lizzie didn't know what the big deal was, Brianna always managed a B point average in English Lit. Mandie didn't seem to be concentrating, looking at one of the tables near the windows.  
  
"Lizzie, you're so lucky to be sharing a locker with Ken. KEN! And I'm sharing a locker with—"  
  
"Peter Geslin, the geek freak," chorused everyone else at the table. They've heard this particular complaint many times already.  
  
Lizzie considered herself pretty lucky as well. Sharing a locker with a total hunk had made her social ladder to soar. Ken had encouraged her to join the cheerleading squad and she did, more so of wanting to please him than anything else. Oh, and being one of the most popular girls in school _did_ have an advantage as well.  
  
Her eyes then caught chocolate brown from the other side of the cafeteria. Gordo. Gordo had finally gotten his growth spurt, and had now grown taller than Lizzie. Gordo's eyes seemed forever. She could practically drown in those sad depths of his. A voice broke her eye contact.  
  
"Geez, Lizzie. You seem to be spacing out all the time now," said Mandie. "Come on, Liz. The bell just rang. Time for Algebra," said Mieko, carrying her books in one hand.  
  
Lizzie and Mieko walked out of the stuffy cafeteria, dreading the next class. "Liz? You didn't eat anything just now. Aren't you hungry?" asked Mieko, softly. Liz could only smile in gratitude for her friends concern. "Nah, I ate a huge breakfast. Matt overslept so I stole all the cereal," she said. A laugh greeted this statement. They were so involved in their conversation that they didn't see a pair of chocolate eyes follow them.  
  
---  
  
**A/N –** Should I continue? If you would like to see another chapter, please review. Flames will not be tolerated while constructive criticism are appreciated. It took me ages to type this out, so could you possibly spend at least 5 minutes or less to comment on this fic? Please and thank you!  
  
**Kawaii Kinomoto**


	2. Complicated

**A/N –** Heh, thanks so much for the support. I wrote this right after I uploaded the other one because I just got hit by inspiration. Each of your reviews were deeply appreciated. I loved reading each and every one of them.  
  
- - -  
  
**Title –** Breaking Out  
  
**Author –** Kawaii Kinomoto  
  
**Genre –** General, Romance, Angst  
  
**Rating –** PG-13  
  
**Main Pairings –** Gordo/Lizzie, Miranda/? (lol, Larry's scary! Have some pity for Miranda! Still haven't found anybody for her yet, so give me ideas.)  
  
**Disclaimer –** I do NOT own the entire cast of Lizzie McGuire. I'm only borrowing them for my (and your) entertainment. I hope you enjoy. Names, places, or settings that are not mentioned in the series are entirely mine.   
  
**Summery –** Lizzie, Miranda and Gordo are now in high school, but everything's changed. The three of them have grown apart, leaving only memories of the past. In high school, where social status means LIFE, the trio have been 'categorized' into different groups. Can they break the bounds of stereotype and rekindle their own friendship? Can love become of this?  
  
- - -  
  
** Breaking Out**  
  
Complicated  
  
Matt burst into the room. "Hey, Mieko!" he said cheerfully. Too cheerful. Lizzie could only gape at the audacity of her dorky brother. "Matt! What are you doing here? Last time I checked," she flew towards her door and flashed the sign on it, "it was 'Lizzie's Room'. Not Matt the Monster's," she finished, hands on her hips.  
  
Mieko twirled her pen absently as she greeted Matt, careful not to make any eye contact whatsoever. Eye contact with Matt... was dangerous. Brianna had once made the ultimate mistake of flashing Matt her mega-watt smile the last time she came over. Matt stalked the poor girl for weeks before Melina found out and had to resort to whapping him upside the head.  
  
Matt smiled goofily before Lizzie pushed him out of the room. "Oww!" he yelped, as the door slammed directly in his face. "My brother. Is out. _To_. _Ruin_. MY. LIFE!" she growled, planting herself next to her friend. "It can't be that bad. I'm sure, that deep down, under those layers of makeup, you actually like him annoying the heck out of you," teased Mieko. Lizzie scoffed, before the meaning of her friend's words came through.  
  
"Hey!" she cried, laughing inspite of herself. "I've always wanted a brother. But older, definitely. Somebody like... Johnny Depp. Cute... and sexy too. That way, I could analyze every girl that likes him. Wouldn't that be cool?" asked Mieko, deep in thought. "As if he would let you," replied Lizzie, shaking her head. Her best friend did not know what she was wishing for. All brothers, old or young, were bound to make your life a misery. There were no exceptions. But Mieko was an only child, and her house got pretty lonely at times. Personally, Lizzie had no problems with going home to an empty house after school everyday, with no parents in the vicinity, but after all, the grass was always greener on the other side.  
  
"Mi? Do you think Ken likes me?" asked Lizzie, randomly. "Well... I dunno. I don't think he shows as much interest to anybody else than he does to you. He smiled at you after school today, right?" inquired Mieko. "It was faint, but I definitely saw it. It was a classic moment," said Lizzie, dreamily. There was a pause before both girls squealed in unison.  
  
"Girls? You alright in there?" came a voice from outside the door. "Yes, mom!" huffed Lizzie. The door opened and Jo McGuire poked her head inside. "Now, Lizzie, I'm just wondering. You can't blame an old mom wanting to take care of her little girl. Oh, Mieko! I love your nail polish!" exclaimed Jo. Lizzie could have pulled her hair out. Her mom always tried to be 'with it' ever since Lizzie made the cheerleading squad.  
  
"Thanks, Mrs. McGuire. I don't like it much, though. I found it a little dark, don't you think?" replied Mieko, while once again, Lizzie was trying to urge her mother out of the room again. Mieko always thought it was hilarious to see Lizzie shooing people out of her room and this time was no different. She was doubled over in laughter as Lizzie closed the door.  
  
An hour later, when their homework was done and all they wanted was a snack, they went downstairs. While rummaging in the refrigerator, the phone jangled loudly. Lizzie ran into the living room and picked it up. "Hello?"  
  
Silence.  
  
"Hello? Who is this?" she asked. The dial tone sounded.  
  
Confused, Lizzie went back to the kitchen. Mieko, having found some Oreos in a jar that was not booby-trapped by Matt, was sitting on one of the stools. "Who was that?" she asked, "it seemed really short. Aww. Couldn't have been a chat with Ken, then."  
  
"Very funny. Nobody replied. I asked who the person was but they hung up on me," said Lizzie, flipping her gorgeous hair to one side.  
  
"Whoa, freaky. Stalker,"  
  
"Not helping, Mieko..."  
  
---  
  
Gordo could have just banged his head on the wall. What was he thinking? Calling Lizzie? Lizzie, whom he hadn't shared a word with for the past two months? One of the most popular girls in school? His ex-best friend?  
  
It did sound like a good idea before but now, it just seemed pretty stupid.  
  
He sat down on the couch and ran his hand over his brown, curly hair. He had piles of dreaded homework waiting for him in his room, but he didn't feel like doing them now. He hated anything to do with school. Thank God it was a Friday. Two days of relaxation would do him good. He didn't think that he could take another day of school. His mind drifted off to a conversation that had taken place in junior high.  
  
_"I can't STAND Kate! Look at her flirting with Ethan. Everybody knows that Ethan's mine!" cried Lizzie, glaring at the other girl. "Uh, how can that be when even Ethan doesn't know you have a crush on him?" Gordo dared to ask. Miranda and Lizzie gave each other a 'guys, they don't understand' look while Gordo lifted his hands in surrender. Miranda stuffed her books inside her already packed locker. The lunch bell had already rung, but none of them felt hungry.  
  
"Kate Sanders was BORN a witch, that's what I think," said Miranda, laughing. Lizzie looked thoughtful at that. Gordo made a face. "Hello? Lizzie? Found something interesting at the wall you're staring at?" he joked. "Oh! I was just thinking about the time Kate and I were best friends..." said Lizzie. "You-you and Kate Sanders were best friends!?" gawked Miranda, "Why is it that I didn't know about this earlier?" She turned to Gordo, wanting to know if he had heard this before but Gordo only shrugged.  
  
"Yeah, we were. She was actually quite cool back then. But then, one summer, when she came back from camp, she changed," said Lizzie, twiddling with her folder.  
  
"Waitwaitwait. So you're telling me, that you and Kate used to best of friends, but after summer camp, you guys just split?" asked Gordo, disbelievingly. "Girls, Gordo. You 'girls'," cut in Miranda. "Ah, whatever," he shot back. Lizzie could only nod.  
_  
He never asked Lizzie about that ever again. Gordo thought it was a bit fishy how such friendship could be broken up over Kate and Lizzie. But he now knew.  
  
_Maybe Kate did change. But you did too..._  
  
---  
  
They were at the mall. Again. It was probably the third time this week, but Miranda didn't care. As long as she had Jodi and James together with her, nothing could seem boring. Miranda choked in her laughter as she saw Jodi dressed up as something only her grandmother would probably wear. Jodi, seeing as she had already attracted attention, flipped her feathered hat and shuffled over to James.  
  
"Eh, dearie? Have you seen, eh, my glasses? You look pretty cute, lad. Almost like old Bob the horse was like when he was younger," croaked Jodi. James grinned, grabbed a pair of rainbow-colored, spiked sunglasses and plopped it on her nose. Miranda almost howled. The saleswoman shot them a dirty look but looked confused when she saw Jodi. Miranda couldn't blame her. Jodi looked like a cross between an old woman and a badly dressed rocker.  
  
"Why, thank you, dearie. Now, come on, Miranda. Your dear old granny needs to get you some new things to wear. Tsk, kids these days, they don't know how to dress! Look at you, you look like a beggar! Why, in my old days, everybody wore sensible clothes, not the horrible trash you wear now! Don't slouch, Miranda!" commanded Jodi, twaddling over to the little kids section. She picked out a pink, frilly dress with puffy sleeves that only a two-year-old could fit in. "There you go, dear! Try it on. Oh, dearie me. You HAVE grown, haven't you?" said Jodi, peering up at Miranda through her sunglasses.  
  
"Jodi, you talk so much like my gran that it's already starting to give me a headache," said James, already growing tired. Jodi punched him on the arm. "Stop spoiling our fun, party pooper," she said, disappointed. She then went back to the dressing room to change back into her clothes.  
  
A few hours (and many ice-cream cones) later, Miranda trudged back home. Her house was on the other side of town, away from James' and Jodi's houses. James had offered to walk her back but Miranda didn't think it was necessary.  
  
The moment she walked into the house, she was bombarded with questions.  
  
"Where were you?"  
  
"We've been waiting for ages!"  
  
"Do you have any idea what time it is now?"  
  
Her furious parents stood over her. "Why do you always have to scream at me? I'm here, aren't I?" said Miranda, scowling. Mrs. Sanchez frowned. "Miranda Ann Sanchez, it's already time for dinner! Why are you always coming home late? Were you with that Josie girl again?" she asked, almost tempted to shake her finger at her daughter.  
  
"It's _Jodi_. JO. DI. Not 'that Josie girl'. Why are you getting all rifled up? I was just at the mall! Geez, you never let me have any privacy nowadays!" countered Miranda, running up the stairs. Mr. Sanchez started after her. "Listen here, young lady. Don't you d—"  
  
Miranda didn't hear the rest of it. She slammed her room door shut.  
  
---  
  
**A/N –** Whew. -dances around the room- I'm so glad I've typed this all out. Typing is such a bore... Heh, that's why I take long to update. Please review! I'll update faster if you do. =)  
  
**Kawaii Kinomoto**


	3. Crushes

**A/N –** Yes! An update! After... two weeks! -hides from angry reviewers- Once again, thank you for your wonderful reviews. Keep them coming (oh, alright... pwease?)! Oh, and my friend asked me what's the deal with Miranda being Andie, well... Miranda = Randa = Randie = Andie. Heh, okie? Enjoy!  
  
- - -  
  
**Title –** Breaking Out  
  
**Author –** Kawaii Kinomoto  
  
**Genre –** General, Romance, Angst  
  
**Rating –** PG-13  
  
**Main Pairings –** Gordo/Lizzie, Miranda/? (I'm still not sure where it should go, but I'm leaning towards Matt? Suggestions appreciated.)  
  
**Disclaimer –** I do NOT own the entire cast of Lizzie McGuire. I'm only borrowing them for my (and your) entertainment. I hope you enjoy. Names, places, or settings that are not mentioned in the series are entirely mine.  
  
**Summery –** Lizzie, Miranda and Gordo are now in high school, but everything's changed. The three of them have grown apart, leaving only memories of the past. In high school, where social status means LIFE, the trio have been 'categorized' into different groups. Can they break the bounds of stereotype and rekindle their own friendship? Can love become of this?  
  
- - -  
  
**Breaking Out**  
  
Crushes  
  
It was a Sunday morning and Miranda was staring dully at the homework in front of her. It was English Lit and it was to be handed in by tomorrow. She was supposed to read 'To Kill a Mockingbird' for this semester but she hadn't even flipped through the pages yet. Turning the book to the first page, she tried to make her mind function. She groaned when she came to the fourth page, she was already bored. How could anyone read this junk? She flung herself on the bed. Things were serious now. The first examination of the term was only a month away and frankly, Miranda wasn't sure if she'll be able to ace it like she always had before. Suddenly, her hand touched something on her besides drawer. She twisted around and reached out for it, smiling. Literature Study Notes. Ingenious. She could just make a few edits here and there and nobody'll know the difference. She'll still be able to manage to scrap an A- for this paper. Not bad.  
  
With a start, Miranda got to work.  
  
"Miranda? What are you doing?"  
  
Miranda rolled her eyes. "It's called WATCHING TV, mom," she said sarcastically. Mrs. Sanchez chose to ignore it. "How about your homework? Have you done it yet?" she asked, leaning over the couch. "Yes, mom," said Miranda. Mrs. Sanchez smiled. "Well, it's good to see you doing your homework. I'm glad that you don't need any help with it. Most children have such a hard time," she said, bending down to give her daughter a quick peck on the cheek.  
  
When Miranda's mom had left the room, the Hispanic girl couldn't help feeling a bit disgusted with herself. But the other side of her thought it was cool. So what if she used study notes? It'll still make her learn in the end, right? It wasn't like it was a big test or something. Yeah, it was all good.  
  
The phone rang then and Miranda leaped for the phone before her parents could get to it. "Hello? Sanchez residence," she said, habit taking over.  
  
"Hey, Andie? That you?" Miranda instantly knew that it was Jodi. "Yeah, what's up?" she asked, twisting the phone chord around her finger. She could hear Jodi sighing in the background. "It's Literature. I'm dying, I tell you, DYING! Who cares about Jem and what's-his-name anyway?" she complained. Miranda inspected her nails, pleased to find that the black nail polish wasn't chipped. "Sooo...?" she prompted, not getting the point. "SO!?" Jodi shrieked, "SO!? You've got to help me! It's due tomorrow! Have you finished it yet?"  
  
"Well, yeah, just did," replied Miranda, having to pull the phone away from her ear to avoid being deafened. "Oh good! Do you think we could meet at the Digital Bean and I could use your paper as a guideline? Changing facts and stuff in some places, though. Remember, I let you copy my map for Geography last time, so you owe me," came the pleading tone.  
  
The dark-haired girl agreed right away. "Okay, let's meet there around noon?" she suggested. Jodi heaved a sigh of relief. "Oh, thank you Andie! You're such a good friend!"  
  
Miranda put down the phone. It was a few hours until 12, she'd better go clean her room before her mother began nagging her about it.  
  
---  
  
"Lizzie? Isn't it time you got off the phone?" called Jo McGuire from the kitchen. Lizzie could smell the delicious whiff of lasagna cooking in the oven.  
  
"Wait a minute mom! Just for a few more seconds," she called out. Jo rolled her eyes at her husband. "You know, that means she'll be off in half-an-hour," she said, dryly. Matt, also in the kitchen, snorted. True enough, after nearly a half hour's time, Lizzie came into the room.  
  
"Finally!" exclaimed Matt, "I'm starving!"  
  
"You're always starving, worm. It doesn't make much of a difference,"  
  
"Freak!"  
  
"Baby!"  
  
"Buffoon!"  
  
"Dodo brain!"  
  
As insults flew around the table, Sam calmly reached for the pepper while Jo tried to stop the ensuing battle with her two kids.  
  
"Lizzie, stop calling your brother names!"  
  
"Cockroach!"  
  
"Matt, stop attacking your sister with peas!"  
  
"Grasshopper!"  
  
Sam vaguely wondered if this chatter about insects would ruin his appetite.  
  
After lunch, Lizzie was 'this' close to beating Matt into a bloody pulp. She washed the dishes as fast as she could so she could escape to the haven of her room. No such luck.  
  
"Lizzie?"  
  
And there was Matt, all innocent-looking and wide-eyed in a look that his family had taken to calling as the 'Devil in Disguise' look. "What is it?" asked his sister, sighing a bit. "Em, do you... eh... knorienamum?" he rushed out. Blank. "Huh? Matt, speak English," snapped Lizzie, having no clue whatsoever what Matt just said. Her little brother (well, not so little anymore, he was almost up to Lizzie's height) shifted his feet. "I said, do you have Brianna's number? I lost it," he replied, having the guts to look annoyed.  
  
The question was left lingering in the air before Lizzie almost dropped the plate she was holding in fury and shock. "Matt! You're over her, okay! Stop stalking my best friends! You're embarrassing me! You'd probably say that you have a crush on-on Miranda or something!"  
  
Matt's cheeks flushed a deep crimson and this time, Lizzie DID drop the plate in shock. With a deep '_clang_', it fell against the sink. Much to both their relief, the plate remained unscratched. "You have a crush on MIRANDA!?" Lizzie nearly shrieked. Matt blushed even harder. "Had-had a crush," he mumbled. "Why didn't I know about this? Did Miranda know?" she asked, and dropped her jaw when Matt sheepishly nodded.  
  
_Oh my gosh..._  
  
---  
  
Gordo was over at Larry Trudgeman's house. They were both crowded around his computer, blasting evil bats that were set on conquering Earth. Gordo was often around Larry's house nowadays, it almost seemed like it had substituted Lizzie's.  
  
"Darn!"  
  
The bloody-sucking bats had triumphed over the two of them and both boys were staring at the screen dejectedly, watching the gory ending play out. "I give up!" whined Larry, fidgeting with his disgusting shirt. Gordo wondered if Larry had a whole wardrobe of those shirts, ranging from teeny-tot to big bad-ass sizes. He never checked, though, for it would be too freaky if he was right. Larry scavenged his CD rack before surfacing with another game and holding it up to Gordo's nose. "Ghost Masters?" asked Gordo, eyebrow arched. The other boy nodded then loaded the game. Gordo thought the game was pretty good, scaring normal people out of their wits was definitely a plus. While they were busy freeing a ghost from a vacuum cleaner (_weird_, Gordo thought), Larry spoke up.  
  
"Hey, what's up with you, Lizzie and Miranda?"  
  
Gordo could have kicked the taller boy for Larry's oh-so-subtle remark. "Nothing," was all he could say. Larry looked up from the game. "Yeah? Doesn't look like nothing. Well, no, it probably is nothing since you guys aren't even speaking to each other anymore," he said, laughing.  
  
"You make us seem like we're fighting..."  
  
"Aren't you?"  
  
"No..."  
  
"Then?"  
  
The curly haired boy frowned. "I guess we just... drifted apart," he said simply, not wanting to encourage the conversation further.  
  
"Wow, too bad. What with your crush on Lizzie and all..."  
  
Gordo froze. "Wh-What did you say?" he stammered out. Larry rolled his eyes and cackled evilly when a person in the computer game went insane. "Well, it's really obvious. You guys did kiss," Larry reasoned. "It was a one time thing," he muttered, shaking his head. Squinting an eye at him, Larry paused the game. "Yeah, if you say so," he said, looking at Gordo pointedly. The other boy shrugged off the uncomfortable gaze his friend was dishing out so generously. Sensing his discomfort, Larry stopped interrogating his friend.  
  
"Come on, let's attack some simulated butt!" he said, unpausing the game. Both of them were too involved in the game to think of anything other than scaring puny simulated people.  
  
_It was only just a one-time thing. But if so, why do I feel so weird?_  
  
---  
  
**A/N -** Yay! -gives herself cookie- My fingers don't hurt! Whew. Pleasepleaseplease review! It keeps the story going thanks to your wonderful encouragement.  
  
**Kawaii Kinomoto**


End file.
